Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew. Show all posts

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Helping the Homeless Honors God

 Going through my daily life, and with Christ, one thing that continually bugs me is that I live in supposedly one of the wealthiest nations on earth, and yet homelessness is a major problem. 

Sure, some people choose to be homeless (it's complicated) and that kind of works for them for part of the year, but unless they're migrating during the seasons, many of these perpetually homeless people are waiting for the next extreme weather event. By extreme, we're talking hypothermic or hyperthermic conditions. Freezing or cooking. Some people don't choose to be homeless. It takes one significant medical emergency and aftercare that sees them lose their job / career, their house and then they're either in a car, or straight on the street. Some folk lose it all in a disaster. Be that natural or man made. And many don't have family members who they can call upon for one reason or another.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Pilgrim's Progress: 2: The Unforgivable Sin.


 January 5 2022

As I continued to read, I came across the man in the iron cage bound up in his own guilt, sin and having a hardened heart against God. I was a bit perplexed that a man thought he was unworthy of being saved since he had known of God once before, His promise and the ultimate sacrifice.  Perhaps it was because he appeared to be a man of the proverbial cloth. I was always led to believe that where there is life, there is still hope.  

Man. "I have crucified Him to myself afresh. I have despised His person. I have despised His holiness; I have counted His blood an unholy thing; I have shown contempt to the Spirit of mercy. Therefore I have shut myself out of all the promises of God, and there now remains to me nothing but threatenings, dreadful threatenings, fearful threatenings of certain judgment and fiery anger, which shall devour me as an enemy."  - Pilgrim's Progress. 

With aid of my earthly mentor, I have learned that there is one sin that is unforgivable. It is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. To illustrate, please see these verses:

Mat 12:31  Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 


Mat 12:32  And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. 

While I thought (wrongly) that one could be forgiven anything right up until death, apparently there is one sin, above all others that is unforgivable. Jesus' words in the scripture are very specific on this matter. Earlier in Matthew, there is an example given, about the Pharisees attributing Jesus' healing to that done with the help of the devil. 

Take Heed.